Requirements to Carry Visual Signals

Most pleasure craft must carry visual signals.

• These are the requirements from the Small Vessel Regulations.
  • Pleasure craft 6 metres (19.7 feet) or less in length and equipped with a motor must have:
    • 3 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 1 type D) or…
    • A watertight flashlight.
  • Sailboats and powerboats over 6 metres and up to 9 metres (19.7 feet to 29.5 feet) in length must have:
    • 6 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 2 type D) and…
    • A watertight flashlight.
  • Sailboats and powerboats over 9 metres and up to 12 metres (29.5 feet to 39.4 feet) in length must have:
    • 12 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 6 type D) and…
    • A watertight flashlight.
  • Sailboats and powerboats over 12 metres and up to 24 metres (39.4 feet to 78.7 feet) in length must have:
    • 12 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 6 type D) and…
    • A watertight flashlight.
• You are exempt from the flare requirements if your pleasure craft:
  • Cannot operate more than 1 nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore when boating on a river, canal, or lake or…
  • Has no sleeping accommodations and is involved in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition.
• For pleasure craft more than 6 metres in length, you may be able to reduce the number of flares up to 50 percent (as long as the number of type D flares is not more than 50 percent of the permitted number) if the pleasure craft is equipped with:
  • A means of two-way radio communication or…
  • A 406 MHz personal locator beacon, as issued under subparagraph 5(1)(a)(iv) of the Radiocommunication Act, worn by the pleasure craft operator or…
  • A 406 MHz emergency position-indicating radio beacon

* Some type B multi-star flares send up only one star at a time. If this is the kind of type B flares you have, you must carry twice as many of these flares on board to meet the requirements.